Method and mobile transceiver for asset tracking

ABSTRACT

A method and mobile transceiver for asset tracking is provided. In one aspect, a method of operating a mobile transceiver comprising a processor, a memory, a satellite receiver, and at least one wireless transceiver is provided. The method comprises activating a wireless transceiver associated with a last used wireless service from a low power mode, searching for a wireless signal for the last used wireless service, and selecting an alternate wireless service when the last used wireless service is not available. Different approaches for selecting the alternate wireless service are provided.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to mobile transceivers, andmore specifically, to a method and mobile transceiver for assettracking.

BACKGROUND

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) tracking devices, such asGlobal positioning system (GPS) tracking devices, are devices carried byobjects or persons (“carriers”) which measure the location of thecarrier using the GNSS at regular intervals and typically store thelocation in internal memory. Examples of types of GNSS tracking devicesinclude: a data logger, a data pusher and a data puller. A data loggermay store the measured location data in internal memory for subsequentdownload and analysis. A data pusher (also known as a beacon) may sendlocation data stored in internal memory to a server or other device inaccordance with predefined parameters. A data puller (also known as atransponder) may store location data in internal memory and provides thelocation data in response to queries from a server or other device. GNSStracking devices may have limited power and/or limited processingresources. Accordingly, methods of efficiently operating and deployingGNSS tracking devices may be desirable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a communication system suitablefor operating a mobile transceiver in accordance with the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile transceiver inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless communicationsubsystem in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example embodiment of a method ofoperating a mobile transceiver in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example embodiment of a method ofoperating a mobile transceiver in accordance with another embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example embodiment of a method ofoperating a mobile transceiver in accordance with a further embodimentof the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example embodiment of a method ofoperating a mobile transceiver in accordance with yet a furtherembodiment of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure is made with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which embodiments are shown. However, many differentembodiments may be used, and thus the description should not beconstrued as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, theseembodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough andcomplete. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and primenotation is used to indicate similar elements, operations or steps inalternative embodiments. Separate boxes or illustrated separation offunctional elements of illustrated systems and devices does notnecessarily require physical separation of such functions, ascommunication between such elements can occur by way of messaging,function calls, shared memory space, and so on, without any suchphysical separation. As such, functions need not be implemented inphysically or logically separated platforms, although they areillustrated separately for ease of explanation herein. Different devicescan have different designs, such that while some devices implement somefunctions in fixed function hardware, other devices can implement suchfunctions in a programmable processor with code obtained from a machinereadable medium.

The present disclosure provides a mobile transceiver that may allowglobal and long-range tracking applications in which an asset in globaland long-range transit can be tracked even though it crosses wirelesscarrier and network coverage boundaries while in transit. In global andlong-range tracking applications the mobile transceiver and the assetbeing tracked may cross wireless carrier and network coverage boundarieswhile in transit. For example, it is not uncommon for a shippingcontainer to originate in mainland China and travel around South Africawith a final destination in North America. The mobile transceiver of thepresent disclosure includes one or more wireless transceivers which mayallow the mobile transceiver to communicate using one of a number ofwireless services, such as 4G LTE, 3G, 2G, WLAN/Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth,etc. to account for the various wireless services that may be availableat any time while in transit.

The present disclosure also provides methods of operating the mobiletransceiver (e.g., tracking device) for global and long-range trackingthat is power efficient and that extends the expected life of thebattery of the mobile transceiver. When the mobile transceiver wakes upafter a period of inactivity, the wireless service that was last used toreport location may no longer be available. Additionally, if crossingcontinental boundaries and international borders, the wireless accesstechnology and RF bands typically do not overlap. The present disclosureprovides methods of operating a mobile transceiver which, among otherthings, select a wireless service for communicating logged data to anasset tracking service using minimal power, thereby extending theexpected life of the battery of the mobile transceiver. This isparticularly advantageous when the mobile transceiver is provided with anon-rechargeable battery.

In accordance with various embodiments, the mobile transceiverdetermines a last used wireless service and attempts to access the lastused wireless service, thereby saving battery power associated withsearching for all the available wireless services is conventionallydone. When the last used wireless service is not available, differentapproaches for selecting and switching to an alternate wireless servicemay be taken. When the last used wireless service is available, themobile transceiver may access the last used wireless service and receivea command from the asset tracking service to switch to an alternatewireless service which may be preferred or more optimal for powerrelated or other reasons.

In accordance with an example embodiment of one aspect of the presentdisclosure, there is provided a method of operating a mobiletransceiver, the mobile transceiver comprising a processor, a memory, asatellite receiver, and at least one wireless transceiver, the methodcomprising: activating a wireless transceiver associated with a lastused wireless service from a low power mode; searching for a wirelesssignal for the last used wireless service; when the last wirelessservice is available, accessing the last used wireless service, andsending at least a portion of a data log to an asset tracking serviceusing the last used wireless service; and when the last used wirelessservice is not available, selecting an alternate wireless service from aplurality of wireless services, accessing the alternate wirelessservice, updating a last used wireless service in memory, and sending atleast a portion of the data log to the asset tracking service using thealternate wireless service.

In accordance with an example embodiment of another aspect of thepresent disclosure, there is provided a mobile transceiver, comprising:a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; a satellite receivercoupled to the processor; and a wireless transceiver coupled to theprocessor; wherein the processor is configured for: activating awireless transceiver associated with a last used wireless service from alow power mode; causing the wireless transceiver to search for awireless signal for the last used wireless service; when the lastwireless service is available, accessing the last used wireless service,and sending at least a portion of a data log to an asset trackingservice using the last used wireless service; and when the last usedwireless service is not available, selecting an alternate wirelessservice from a plurality of wireless services, accessing the alternatewireless service, updating a last used wireless service in memory, andsending at least a portion of the data log to the asset tracking serviceusing the alternate wireless service.

In accordance with an example embodiment of a further aspect of thepresent disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory machine readablemedium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions that, whenexecuted by a processor of a mobile transceiver, the mobile transceivercomprising a processor, a memory, a satellite receiver, and at least onewireless transceiver, cause the processor to: activating a wirelesstransceiver associated with a last used wireless service from a lowpower mode; causing the wireless transceiver to search for a wirelesssignal for the last used wireless service; when the last wirelessservice is available, accessing the last used wireless service, andsending at least a portion of a data log to an asset tracking serviceusing the last used wireless service; and when the last used wirelessservice is not available, selecting an alternate wireless service from aplurality of wireless services, accessing the alternate wirelessservice, updating a last used wireless service in memory, and sending atleast a portion of the data log to the asset tracking service using thealternate wireless service.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example embodiment of a mobiletransceiver 102 of the present disclosure will be described. The mobiletransceiver 102 comprises at least one processor 104 which controls theoverall operation of the mobile transceiver 102. The processor 104 iscoupled to a plurality of components via a communication bus (not shown)which provides a communication path between the components and theprocessor 104. The mobile transceiver 102 also comprises a Random AccessMemory (RAM) 108, Read Only Memory (ROM) 110, a persistent(non-volatile) memory 112 which may be flash erasable programmable readonly memory (EPROM) (“flash memory”) or other suitable form of memory, adata port 122 such as a serial data port (e.g., Universal Serial Bus(USB) data port), and a plurality of environmental sensors 130 forsensing the environment of the mobile transceiver 102. The sensors 130may comprise a light sensor 131, temperature sensor 132, pressure sensor133, humidity sensor 134, gyroscope 135, accelerometer 136, one or moretime-of-flight (ToF) sensors 137 and possibly other sensors such as adoor contact switch (not shown).

The mobile transceiver 102 also comprises a satellite receiver 120 forreceiving satellite signals from a satellite network 180 that comprisesa plurality of satellites which are part of a global or regionalsatellite navigation system. In some embodiments, a satellitetransceiver capable of both receiving and sending satellite signals maybe provided instead of a satellite receiver which can only receivesatellite signals.

The mobile transceiver 102 can use signals received by the satellitereceiver 120 from a plurality of satellites in the satellite network 180to determine its position. In at least some embodiments, the satellitenetwork 180 comprises a plurality of satellites which are part of atleast one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) that providesautonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage. For example,the satellite network 180 may be a constellation of GNSS satellites.Example GNSSs include the United States NAVSTAR Global PositioningSystem (GPS) or the Russian GLObal NAvigation Satellite System(GLONASS). Other satellite navigation systems which have been deployedor which are in development include the European Union's Galileopositioning system, China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS),the Indian regional satellite navigation system, and the Japanesesatellite navigation system.

The mobile transceiver 102 also comprises one or more wirelesstransceivers for exchanging at least data communication. The wirelesstransceivers comprises at least a cellular (RF) transceiver 114 forcommunicating with a plurality of different radio access networks (RAN)such as a cellular network 160 using different wireless datacommunication protocols and standards. The mobile transceiver 102 maycommunicate with any one of a plurality of fixed transceiver basestations (one of which is shown in FIG. 1) of the cellular network 160within its geographic coverage area. The mobile transceiver 102 may sendand receive signals over the cellular network 160 after the requirednetwork registration and/or activation procedures have been completed.In the described embodiment, the cellular transceiver 114 is amulti-band transceiver that supports multiple radio frequency bandswhich may include, for example, multiple 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) orLTE Advanced bands as well as global 3G and 2G bands such as, forexample, a TOBY-L2 series wireless transceiver from u-blox Holding AG ofSwitzerland. In other embodiments, multiple dedicated transceivers maybe provided to support different wireless services, such as 4G LTE, 3Gand 2G wireless services.

Examples of technologies that can be used by the cellular transceiver114 include LTE, LTE Advanced, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS),Mobitex™, and Data TAC™. Other example technologies that can be used bythe cellular transceiver 114 include Advanced Mobile Phone System(AMPS), time division multiple access (TDMA), Code Division MultipleAccess (CDMA), Wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), PersonalCommunication Service (PCS), GSM (Global System for MobileCommunication), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), integrated DigitalEnhanced Network (iDEN), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA),Evolution-Data Optimized (EvDO), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution(EDGE), etc. Other types of communication networks, both separate andintegrated, may also be utilized with the mobile transceiver 102. Themobile transceiver 102 may also be compliant with other communicationstandards such as 3GSM, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP),Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), 4G, etc. Theabove-noted technologies are used by example and are not exhaustive. Thedescribed embodiments do not depend on any particular characteristics orcapabilities of the RAN.

The wireless transceivers may also comprise a wireless local areanetwork (WLAN) transceiver 116 for communicating with a WLAN 150 via aWLAN access point (AP). The WLAN 150 may comprise a Wi-Fi wirelessnetwork which conforms to IEEE 802.11x standards (sometimes referred toas Wi-Fi®). Other communication protocols may be used for the WLAN 104in other embodiments.

The wireless transceivers may also comprise a short-range wirelesstransceiver, such as a Bluetooth® transceiver 118, for communicatingwith a computer 240. The mobile transceiver 102 may alternativelycommunicate with the computer 240 using a physical link such as the dataport 122 (e.g., USB port). The Bluetooth transceiver 118 could becompatible with any suitable version of the Bluetooth protocol includingBluetooth low energy (Bluetooth Smart). Other short-range wirelesscommunication technologies may be provided instead of, or in additionto, Bluetooth® including but not limited to Near field communication(NFC), IEEE 802.15.3a (also referred to as UltraWideband (UWB)), Z-Wave,ZigBee, ANT/ANT+ or infrared (e.g., Infrared Data Association (IrDA)communication).

Data received by the mobile transceiver 102 may be decompressed anddecrypted by a decoder (not shown). The communication subsystem of themobile transceiver 102 also includes one or more antennas, a processorsuch as a digital signal processor (DSP), and local oscillators (LOs).The specific design and implementation of the communication subsystem isdependent upon the wireless communication technologies implemented bythe mobile transceiver 102.

Network access requirements vary depending upon the type of cellularnetwork 160. In the described embodiment, the mobile transceiver 102includes a smart card interface 140 for receiving a smart card 142 forstoring and reading data by the processor 104. The smart card 142 may bea Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card for use in a GSM network orother type of smart card for use in the relevant wireless network typewhich provides wireless network access. In at least some embodiments,the smart card 142 is a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC)containing at least a SIM and a USIM application. UICC is the smart cardused in most contemporary GSM and UMTS networks. While a SIM card for aGSM network has been described as an example, the term smart card isintended to encompass all types of smart cards and other similartechnology for providing a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM),Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM) or CDMA Subscriber IdentityModule (CSIM) or other similar technology used in UMTS and CDMAnetworks.

The SIM card includes subscriber identity data (also referred to as SIMdata) includes information necessary to obtain access to a wirelessvoice and/or data network provided, for example, by a wireless networkservice provider, depending on the embodiment. The subscriber identitydata may include network operator bundle information and/or user datainformation. Examples of network operator bundle information and/or userdata information may include subscriber identification information,network selection parameters, network operator data and application datafor accessing various data services, etc. In one embodiment, thesubscriber identity data comprises subscriber identificationinformation, network selection parameters, and network operator data(sometimes referred to as “network credentials”). In other embodiments,the subscriber identity may include more or less information. Forexample, in some embodiments, the subscriber identity data may furthercomprise application data.

Examples of subscriber identification information may include, withoutlimitation, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), IntegratedCircuit Card ID (ICCID), Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI),Packet TMSI (P-TMSI), and Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services DigitalNetwork Number (MSISDN). Example network selection parameters include,without limitation, Public Land Mobile Network Selector (PLMNSel),Forbidden PLMN (FPLMN), and Home PLMN (HPLMN). Examples of networkoperator data include, without limitation, Operator controlled PLMN(OPLMN) list SPN (Service Provider Name), PLMN Network Name (PNN) forname display, Emergency Control Center (ECC) for emergency calls, andother call categories, etc. Examples of application data include,without limitation, the SIM Application Toolkit (STK) (e.g., RoamingBroker, Enhanced Network Selection (ENS), International Mobile EquipmentIdentity (IMEI) change applications, etc.)

In some embodiments, the subscriber identity data may further compriseauthentication information, such as keys, and encryption algorithms,etc. For example, authentication information may comprise anauthentication key (Ki) and the encryption algorithms described in 3GPPTS 35.205 V9.0.0 published Dec. 31, 2009 and entitled “Specification ofthe MILENAGE Algorithm Set: An example algorithm set for the 3GPPauthentication and key generation functions f1, f1*, f2, f3, f4, f5 andf5*”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

The mobile transceiver 102 also includes a battery 146 as a powersource. The battery 146 may be a rechargeable or non-rechargeablebattery. The battery 146 provides electrical power to at least some ofthe components of the mobile transceiver 102. A battery interface 144provides a mechanical and electrical connection for the battery 146. Thebattery interface 144 may be coupled to a regulator (not shown) whichprovides power V+ to the circuitry of the mobile transceiver 102. Insome embodiments, the battery 146 is a large-capacity, non-rechargeable,sealed battery which is expected to have a relatively long service life,such as 5-7 years of active service.

The mobile transceiver 102 may also include a power interface, such as apower port, for connecting to an external power source 152 such as analternating current (AC) power adapter. The mobile transceiver 102 canuse the external power source 152 rather than the battery 146. If thebattery 146 is rechargeable, the external power source 152 may be usedto recharge the battery 146.

Referring again to FIG. 1, an example communication system 100 in whicha mobile transceiver 102 of the present disclosure can operate will bedescribed. The mobile transceiver 102 typically uses the cellularnetwork 160 to access an asset tracking service (e.g., a server or fleetmanagement system) 200. The asset tracking service 200 may beimplemented as one or more server modules and is typically locatedbehind a firewall 210. The asset tracking service 200 providesadministrative control and management capabilities over a plurality ofmanaged mobile transceivers 102. The asset tracking service 200 may beembodied as a variety of configurations, in hardware or software,including a server-based system, an Application Programming Interface(API) and/or endpoint that provides access and abstraction of thefunctionality of asset tracking service 200 such that no hardware orconfiguration information is necessary to access the functionality otherthan the API location and functional definitions.

The asset tracking service 200 provides secure transmission of dataexchanged between the asset tracking service 200 and the plurality ofmanaged mobile transceivers 102. Communication between the assettracking service 200 and the mobile transceivers 102 may be encrypted,for example, using Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) or Triple DataEncryption Standard (Triple DES) encryption.

The mobile transceiver 102 use signals received by the satellitereceiver 120 from a plurality of satellites in the satellite network 180to determine its position. For example, the mobile transceiver 102 mayuse the satellite receiver 120 to determine is location at regularintervals, in accordance with a predefined schedule, or in response to atrigger event, among other possibilities. The frequency or schedule atwhich the location is determined may be fixed or configurable. Themobile transceiver 102 stores the determined location, typically interms of Latitude and Longitude, and a time at which the location wasdetermined in a data log stored in the memory 112 of the mobiletransceiver 102. Thus, the data log provides an asset tracking log.

The mobile transceiver 102 may also use one or more of the sensors 130to sense or measure an environment of the mobile transceiver 102. Forexample, the sensors 130 may be used to measure temperature, pressureand humidity, as well as door open or movement events, among otherparameters. The sensor data obtained via the sensors 130 and a time atwhich the sensor data was obtained are also stored in the data log(i.e., the asset tracking log), which is stored in the memory 112. Aswith the location data, the mobile transceiver 102 may collect sensordata at regular intervals, in accordance with a predefined schedule, orin response to a trigger event, among other possibilities. The frequencyor schedule at which sensor data is obtained may be fixed orconfigurable.

The mobile transceiver 102 attempts to connect to the asset trackingservice 200 to report location and/or sensor data stored in the assettracking log at regular intervals, in accordance with a predefinedschedule, or in response to a trigger event, among other possibilities.The frequency or schedule at which the mobile transceiver 102 attemptsto connect to the asset tracking service 200 may be fixed orconfigurable. The mobile transceiver 102 typically attempts to connectto the asset tracking service 200 using a wireless transceiver such asthe cellular transceiver 114. The mobile transceiver 102 has access tomultiple wireless services provided by multiple wireless transceivers,each of which provides access to one or more wireless services. In thedescribed embodiment, the multiple wireless transceivers comprise thecellular transceiver 114, WLAN transceiver 116, and Bluetoothtransceiver 118. The wireless transceivers may include multiple cellulartransceivers 114 in some embodiments, which may be multi-band cellulartransceivers 114. The mobile transceiver 102 could also attempt toconnect to the asset tracking service 200 using a physical link, eitherdirectly or indirectly via the computer 240. Each wireless servicesupported by the mobile transceiver 102 may be defined by a standard orspecification. Non-limiting examples of wireless service describedelsewhere in the present disclosure and include 4G Long-Term Evolution(LTE), 3G and 2G, WLAN and Bluetooth.

In some embodiments, more than one SIM card may be carried by the mobiletransceiver 102 for a particular cellular transceiver 114. For example,when the mobile transceiver 102 has a multi-band cellular transceiver114, two or more SIM cards may be provided with each SIM card beingassociated with a different wireless service provider. Each SIM card maybe preferred for particular geographical regions, for example, based onthe wireless service providers in those geographical regions. Thecellular transceiver module may include a switch (not shown) may be usedto switch between the SIM cards for the particular cellular transceiver114, or a dedicated switch may be provided. In other embodiments,virtual SIM cards may be provided rather than physical SIM cards. Avirtual SIM card is a data object stored in memory, such as the memory112, which includes the subscriber identity data normally stored on aphysical SIM card, emulating a physical SIM card. When virtual SIM cardsare provided, the switching is done via software by the transceivermodule or baseband processor 304.

When the mobile transceiver 102 connects to the cellular network 160,WLAN 150, or computer 240 via Bluetooth and/or USB, the mobiletransceiver 102 can send the data log or a portion of the data log(i.e., an unreported portion of the data log) to the asset trackingservice 200 through the firewall 210 using a communication network 230.The data log information may be sent using any suitable message formatincluding, for example, a proprietary message format. The mobiletransceiver 102 data log typically includes an indicator regarding whichdata in the data log has been reported and which data in the data log isunreported. For example, in some embodiments, the data log comprises aseries of records including and identified by a record identifier (ID).Each record also includes a time at which the record was made, locationdata and/or sensor data, and a report status indicating whether therecord has been reported to the asset tracking service 200. After anunreported record is reported to the asset tracking service 200, itscorresponding report status field in the data log is updated.

The mobile transceiver 102 powers-down certain device components whennot in use to conserve battery power. For example, the mobiletransceiver 102 initiates a low power mode for the cellular transceiver114 after a reporting time/cycle. The low power mode may be an off mode(also known as an off state) in which the cellular transceiver 114 isunpowered or a sleep mode (also known as a standby mode or suspendedoperation mode) with low power consumption. The cellular transceiver 114is then activated from the low power mode at the next reportingtime/cycle. Any other wireless transceivers are similarly placed into alow power mode after a reporting time/cycle. The satellite receiver 120and sensors 130 may also be placed into a low power mode when notobtaining location or sensor data, and then activated from the low powermode at the next measurement time/cycle.

The data logging and data reporting cycles are typically different andneed not coincide, although the cycles typically overlap to varyingdegrees. For example, each reporting cycle typically involves reportingseveral records of the data log each including location data and/orsensor data. The cycles may overlap in that location data and/or sensordata may be captured as part of a common process at some times or may becaptured as part of a separate process performed just prior to reportinglogged data to the asset tracking service 200. For example, a wirelesstransceiver may be awaken for reporting at the same time, or just after,the satellite receiver 120 and/or sensors 130 are awaken and locationdata and/or sensor data is captured.

The communication system 100 is provided for the purpose of illustrationonly. The communication system 100 is but one possible configuration ofa multitude of possible communication network configurations for usewith the mobile transceiver 102. Suitable variations will be understoodto a person of skill in the art and are intended to fall within thescope of the present disclosure. For example, while individual networkshave been represented for convenience, it will be appreciated thatmultiple networks of each type and intermediate networks connected tothe shown networks may be provided. Also, the communication linksrepresented in FIG. 1 can be implemented using public and/or privatenetworks that can communicate using packet data technologies, such asX.25 or Internet Protocol (IP) based addressing and routing techniques.Some connections can be implemented as secure connections, for example,using Virtual Private Network (VPN) technologies.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a wireless communication subsystem 300 inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure will bedescribed. The wireless communication subsystem 300 includes a digitalbaseband processor 304 which manages functions that require an antenna,and a plurality of wireless transceivers and/or receivers 306,represented individually by references 306 a, 306 b, . . . 306 n. Eachof the wireless transceivers/receivers 306 is coupled to a switch 308,represented individually by references 308 a, 308 b, . . . 308 n, whichis coupled to an internal antenna 310, represented individually byreferences 310 a, 310 b, . . . 310 n, and an external antenna 312,represented individually by references 312 a, 312 b, . . . 312 n. Theexternal antennas 312 typically serve as the primary antennas because ofthe reduced RF interference associated with being located outside of theshipping container 400, whereas the internal antennas 310 typicallyserve as secondary antennas because of the increased RF interferenceassociated with being located inside of the shipping container 400.

It at least some embodiments, the external antennas 312 are provided ina common external antenna module, and a ground pin of the externalantenna module is connected to a general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pinof the processor 104 which can be monitored, for example, when themobile transceiver 102 wakes up. When the ground pin of the externalantenna module is not detected, this is an indication that the externalantenna module is disconnected, an electronic malfunction has occurredin the external antenna module, or the external antenna 312 and/or theexternal housing module 504 has been otherwise damaged or tampered with.In other embodiments, a ground pin of each external antenna 312 may beindividually connected to a GPIO pin of the processor 104.

As noted above, the wireless transceivers/receivers 306 include at leastone cellular transceiver 114 such as a multi-band cellular transceiverthat supports multiple radio frequency bands which may include, forexample, multiple 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE Advanced bands aswell as global 3G and 2G bands and at least one satellite receiver 120.

While a common baseband processor 304 for the cellular transceiver 114and satellite receiver 120 has been described, in other embodiments aseparate baseband processor could be provided for the satellite receiver120 and the cellular transceiver 114. In the wireless communicationsubsystem 300, the cellular transceiver 114 and satellite receiver 120are individually switched and capable of operating independently.Consequently, the satellite receiver 120 can use an external antenna 312while the cellular transceiver 114 uses an internal antenna 310, or viceversa, the satellite receiver 120 and the cellular transceiver 114 canboth use an external antennas 312, or the satellite receiver 120 and thecellular transceiver 114 can both use an internal antennas 30. Thebaseband processor 304, or main processor 104, selects either theinternal antenna 310 or external antenna 312 for the satellite receiver120 and the cellular transceiver 114 depending on factors such as signalquality and ancillary information from the sensors 130. Each of thewireless transceivers/receivers 306 (e.g., the satellite receiver 120and the cellular transceiver 114) may also be separately powered-on,powered-off or placed into a sleep mode.

The terms “switch” and “switching” used in the described embodiments arenot intended to be restricted to changing the active antenna. Instead,the terms are intended to include instructing a respective switch 308 tomake a particular antenna the active antenna if the particular antennais not already the active antenna.

While not shown, each of the wireless transceivers/receivers 306 has anRF front end circuit (also known as a transceiver module/receivermodule) which generally includes all components between the antennas andthe digital baseband processor 304. For example, the RF front endcircuit of a cellular transceiver includes a receiver, a transmitter,and local oscillators (LOs). The receiver performs common receiverfunctions as signal amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering,channel selection, etc., as well as analog-to-digital conversion (ADC).The ADC of a received signal allows more complex communication functionssuch as demodulation and decoding to be performed by the digitalbaseband processor 304. In a similar manner, signals to be transmittedare processed, including modulation and encoding, for example, by thedigital baseband processor 304. The processed signals are input to thetransmitter for digital-to-analog conversion (DAC), frequency upconversion, filtering, amplification, and transmission via the antennas.A receiver, lacking transmitting functions, typically omits componentsrequired for receiving.

FIG. 4 shows an example flowchart of a method 400 of operating a mobiletransceiver 102 such as a GNSS tracking device in accordance with oneexample embodiment of the present disclosure. The method may be carriedout by software executed by a processor of the mobile transceiver 102.Coding of software for carrying out such a method 400 is within thescope of a person of ordinary skill in the art provided the presentdisclosure. The method 400 may contain additional or fewer processesthan shown and/or described, and may be performed in a different orderin other embodiments. Machine readable code executable by the processorto perform the method 400 may be stored in a machine readable mediumsuch as a memory of the mobile transceiver 102.

At 401, the mobile transceiver 102 determines and selects a last usedwireless service, such as a 4G LTE, 3G, 2G, or possibly WLAN orBluetooth wireless service. When more than one wireless transceiver iscarried by the mobile transceiver 102, a last used wireless transceiverassociated with the last used wireless service is also determined andselected. The last used wireless service is determined from informationstored in the memory 112. The last used wireless transceiver may bedetermined implicitly based on the type and number of wirelesstransceiver carried by the mobile transceiver 102, or it may be storedexplicitly in the memory 112. The mobile transceiver 102 may also storea last used frequency or last used frequency band associated with eachwireless transceiver, depending in the wireless transceiver. While notshown, the operation 401 may be preceded by the main processor 104waking from a low power mode.

At 402, the mobile transceiver 102 activates the selected wirelesstransceiver, for example from a low power mode. For example, the mobiletransceiver 102 may wake up the wireless transceiver from a sleep mode.The wireless transceiver may be a cellular transceiver 114, WLANtransceiver 116 or a Bluetooth transceiver. The activating of thewireless transceiver may be caused by the expiry of a timer or othertrigger, depending on the embodiment. The activating of the lastwireless transceiver may be performed by the main processor 104 or thebaseband processor 304, depending on the embodiment.

At 404, the wireless transceiver searches for a wireless signal for thewireless service. The wireless transceiver may search for an availablewireless signal for the wireless service based on a priority sequence offrequencies stored in memory. The priority sequence may be based onpreferred carriers, for example, frequencies used by the carrier of theuser's home network and/or carriers that have an advantageous partneringagreement with the carrier of the user's home network. The prioritysequence could be based on a last used frequency or frequency bandassociated with the wireless transceiver as well as or instead offrequencies associated with preferred carriers. The priority sequencemay be a list of frequencies sorted or ranked in a descending order ofpriority based on being a preferred carrier frequency, a last usedfrequency or a last used frequency band. The list of frequencies may bea list of all frequencies supported by the wireless service sorted orranked in the manner described, or a subset of the supportedfrequencies.

At 406, the mobile transceiver 102 determines whether the wirelessservice is available in accordance with any responses received inresponse to the scanning. When the wireless service is available,processing proceeds to 408, at which the mobile transceiver 102 selectsand accesses, or connects to, the wireless service. At 410, the mobiletransceiver 102 optionally updates the last used wireless service bystoring identifying information about the accessed wireless service inthe memory 112, for example, by updating a last used wireless serviceparameter stored in memory 112. A time associated with the last use,such as a time at which the wireless service was last accessed or acorrection to the wireless service was last initiated, or a time atwhich access or correction to the wireless service was last terminated,may be stored in association with the identifying information about theaccessed wireless service. The frequency or frequency band used by thewireless transceiver may also be stored in some embodiments, dependingon the wireless transceiver. Alternatively, in other embodiments theupdating of the last used wireless service may be omitted when the lastused wireless service is available.

At 430, the mobile transceiver 102 sends at least a portion of the datalog to the asset tracking service 200 using the wireless service.

When the wireless service is not available and other supported wirelessservices have not been checked (decision block 412), the processingproceeds to 414 at which the mobile transceiver 102 selects an alternatewireless service from a plurality of wireless services. The alternatewireless service may be selected based on one or more wireless serviceparameters, such as power efficiency, reliability, data throughout,bandwidth, Quality of Service (QoS) among other parameters. For example,in some embodiments the most power efficient wireless service isselected in accordance with a power profile of the wireless servicesstored in memory, such as the memory 112. The basic power profileinformation may be stored in the power profile efficiency table, anexample of which is shown below.

TABLE 1 Power Profile Efficiency Table Wireless service Power EfficiencyIndicator 4G LTE Medium 2G/3G High Wi-Fi Low Bluetooth Low

The power profile efficiency table includes the basic power profile foreach wireless service supported by the mobile transceiver 102. The basicpower profile includes a power efficiency indicator for each wirelessservice supported by the mobile transceiver. In the shown example, thepower efficiency indicator is a qualitative indicator in the form of a“Low”, “Medium” or “High” rating. However, other qualitative indicatorscould be used in other embodiments, such as a numerical rating from 1 to10, to provided increase precision. Alternatively, a quantitativeindicator could be used in other embodiments.

Depending on the wireless transceivers carried by the mobile transceiver102, the mobile transceiver 102 may have to switch wireless transceiversbased on the alternate wireless service which is selected. For example,if a separate cellular transceiver 114 for 4G LTE, 3G and 2G is carriedby the mobile transceiver 102 and the wireless service that mobiletransceiver 102 just searched for was 4G LTE and the alternate wirelessservice which was selected is 3G, the mobile transceiver 102 may sleepor power-off the 4G cellular transceiver 114 and activate the 3Gcellular transceiver 114. However, when a multi-band cellulartransceiver 114 supporting 4G LTE, 3G and 2G is carried by the mobiletransceiver 102, the same wireless transceiver is used and no switchingis required.

In some embodiments, when more than one SIM card is carried by themobile transceiver, selecting an alternate wireless service may compriseswitching, by the transceiver module, from a first SIM card to a secondSIM associated with the alternate cellular service.

When the wireless service is not available and other supported wirelessservices have not been checked (decision block 412), or when the mobiletransceiver has sent at least a portion of the data log to the assettracking service 200, the processing proceeds to 440 at which a lowpower mode is initiated for the wireless transceiver and/or satellitereceiver 120.

Before a low power mode is initiated for the wireless transceiver and/orsatellite receiver 120, the mobile transceiver 102 may optionallyperform data logging via the satellite receiver 120 until a next attemptto access wireless services, i.e., the next reporting cycle. In someembodiments, the data logging comprises determining, via the satellitereceiver 120, a time and a location of the mobile transceiver 102, andstoring the time and the location data in the data log stored in thememory 112. The data logging may further comprise sensing, via one ormore of the sensors 130, an environment of the mobile transceiver 102,and storing the sensor data obtained via the sensors 130 and a time atwhich the sensor data was obtained in the data log stored in the memory122.

FIG. 5 shows an example flowchart of a method 500 of operating a mobiletransceiver 102 such as a GNSS tracking device in accordance withanother example embodiment of the present disclosure. The method may becarried out by software executed by a processor of the mobiletransceiver 102. Coding of software for carrying out such a method 500is within the scope of a person of ordinary skill in the art providedthe present disclosure. The method 500 may contain additional or fewerprocesses than shown and/or described, and may be performed in adifferent order in other embodiments. Machine readable code executableby the processor to perform the method 500 may be stored in a machinereadable medium such as a memory of the mobile transceiver 102.

At 401, the mobile transceiver 102 determines and selects a last usedwireless service, such as a 4G LTE, 3G, 2G, or possibly WLAN orBluetooth wireless service.

At 402, the mobile transceiver 102 activates the selected wirelesstransceiver, for example from a low power mode.

At 404, the wireless transceiver searches for a wireless signal for thewireless service.

At 406, the mobile transceiver 102 determines whether the wirelessservice is available in accordance with any responses received inresponse to the scanning. When the wireless service is available,processing proceeds to 408, at which the mobile transceiver 102 selectsand accesses the wireless service. At 410, the mobile transceiver 102updates the last used wireless service by storing identifyinginformation about the accessed wireless service in the memory 112. Thefrequency or frequency band used by the wireless transceiver may also bestored in some embodiments, depending on the wireless transceiver.

At 430, the mobile transceiver 102 sends at least a portion of the datalog to the asset tracking service 200 using the wireless service.

When the wireless service is not available (decision block 406), theprocessing proceeds to 510 at which the satellite receiver 120 isactivated, for example, from a low power mode. This operation may beomitted in other embodiments if the satellite receiver 120 is alreadyactivated.

At 512, the mobile transceiver 102 determines its location using thesatellite receiver 120. The determined location and a time associatedwith the determined location is stored in the data log in the memory112.

At 514, the mobile transceiver 102 optionally senses, via one or moresensors 130, an environment of the mobile transceiver 102. The sensordata obtained via the sensors 130 and a time at which the sensor datawas obtained is stored in the data log stored in the memory 112.

At 516, the mobile transceiver 102 selects an alternate wireless servicefrom a plurality of wireless services based on the determined location.The mobile transceiver 102 has stored in memory one or more wirelessservice(s) for use in various locations. The mobile transceiver 102 maystore a table geo-spatial locations or a range thereof and associatedwireless services(s) to be used in those locations, and in some examplesidentifying the preferred wireless services at those locations. Thegeo-spatial locations may be stored in any suitable form, such aslatitude and longitude ranges, regions, countries, etc. The associatedwireless services(s) to be used in those locations may include a numberof wireless services and a priority sequence of those wireless services.The priority sequence may be provided implicitly by the order of thewireless services, for example, the wireless services may be listed fromhighest to lowest in a descending order of priority.

The selection may also be based on one or more wireless serviceparameters, such as power efficiency, reliability, data throughout,bandwidth, Quality of Service (QoS) among other parameters, in additionto the determined location. In some embodiments, each of the parametersis assigned a priority and the wireless service is selected inaccordance with the priority assigned to each parameter in the extendedpower profile and a multi-factor selection algorithm. In otherembodiments, the wireless service is selected in accordance with aparticular parameter, for example, to select the wireless service havingthe optimal value (e.g., highest or lowest, depending on the parameter)for the particular parameter. The particular parameter used forselecting the wireless service may be specified by the asset trackingservice 200. The asset tracking service 200 may specify the parameter tobe used in a message sent to and received by the asset tracking service200. The particular parameter to be used during selection may beretrieved from the message received by the asset tracking service 200and stored in local memory, such as the memory 112, for use in themethod 400.

At 520, the wireless transceiver searches for a wireless signal for thewireless service as described above in connection with operation 404.

At 522, the mobile transceiver 102 determines whether the wirelessservice is available in accordance with any responses received inresponse to the scanning as described above in connection with operation406.

When the wireless service is not available and other wireless servicesassociated with the determined location have not been checked (decisionblock 524), or when the mobile transceiver has sent at least a portionof the data log to the asset tracking service 200, the processingproceeds to 440 at which a low power mode is initiated for the wirelesstransceiver and/or satellite receiver 120.

FIG. 6 shows an example flowchart of a method 600 of operating a mobiletransceiver 102 such as a GNSS tracking device in accordance with afurther example embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 600 issimilar to the method 400 described above with some additionaloperations.

At 410, the mobile transceiver 102 updates the last used wirelessservice by storing identifying information about the accessed wirelessservice in the memory 112 and optionally stores the frequency orfrequency band used by the wireless transceiver, depending in thewireless transceiver.

At 650, the mobile transceiver 102 determines whether a switch commandis received from the asset tracking service 200. The switch commandincludes an alternate wireless service to be used by the mobiletransceiver 102 and an instruction to switch from the current wirelessservice to the alternate wireless service. The switch command may besent by the asset tracking service 200 for a variety of reasons. Theasset tracking service 200 may have information about preferred or moreoptimal wireless services which is not available to the mobiletransceiver 102 because the mobile transceiver 102 was not provided withsuch information or because information provided to the mobiletransceiver 102 is out of date. For example, the alternate wirelessservice may be preferred or more optimal because it is associated withthe carrier of the user's home network and/or carriers that have anadvantageous partnering agreement with the carrier of the user's homenetwork. Alternatively, the alternate wireless service may be preferredor more optimal because it may have improved power efficiency,reliability, data throughout, bandwidth, or Quality of Service (QoS)among other parameters instead of, or in addition to, a preferredpartnering agreement. The switch command from the asset tracking service200 not only allows more current information to be used in selecting thewireless service, but also reduces power consumption on the mobiletransceiver 102 by having the decision making as to the preferred ormore optimal wireless service performed by the asset tracking service200 instead of the mobile transceiver 102.

When a switch command is not received, the operations continue to 430 atwhich the mobile transceiver 102 sends at least a portion of the datalog to the asset tracking service 200 using the previously selectedwireless service, as described above.

When a switch command is received, the operations continue to 652 atwhich the mobile transceiver 102 selects and accesses the alternatewireless service. If the alternate wireless service is not available,the mobile transceiver 102 may select and access the wireless servicepreviously selected and accessed in 408.

At 654, the mobile transceiver 102 updates the last used wirelessservice by storing identifying information about the accessed wirelessservice in the memory 112 and optionally stores the frequency orfrequency band used by the wireless transceiver, depending on thewireless transceiver. The operations then proceed to 430 at which themobile transceiver 102 sends at least a portion of the data log to theasset tracking service 200 using the previously selected wirelessservice, as described above.

FIG. 7 shows an example flowchart of a method 700 of operating a mobiletransceiver 102 such as a GNSS tracking device in accordance with afurther example embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 700 issimilar to the method 500 described above with some additionaloperations. In particular, the operations 650, 652 and 654 from themethod 600 (FIG. 6) are performed after the mobile transceiver 102updates the last used wireless service by storing identifyinginformation about the accessed wireless service in the memory 112 andoptionally stores the frequency or frequency band used by the wirelesstransceiver, depending on the wireless transceiver.

The above-described methods provide power efficient global andlong-range tracking methods that reduce power consumption and extend theexpected life of the battery of the mobile transceiver. In accordancewith the described embodiments, the mobile transceiver determines a lastused wireless service and attempts to access the last used wirelessservice, thereby saving the battery power consumed by searching for allthe available wireless services is conventionally done. When the lastused wireless service is not available, different approaches forselecting and switching to an alternate wireless service may be taken.When the last used wireless service is available, the mobile transceivermay access the last used wireless service and receive a command from theasset tracking service to switch to an alternate wireless service whichmay preferred or more optimal for power related or other reasons. Theabove-described methods of operating a mobile transceiver areparticularly advantageous when the mobile transceiver is provided with anon-rechargeable battery. The above-described methods of operating amobile transceiver are also particularly advantageous when a period oftime has elapsed since the mobile transceiver determined its locationusing the satellite receiver, for example, when the mobile transceiverwakes up after a period of inactivity in which at least the satellitereceiver and wireless transceiver were in a low power mode.

The steps and/or operations in the flowcharts and drawings describedherein are for purposes of example only. There may be many variations tothese steps and/or operations without departing from the teachings ofthe present disclosure. For instance, the steps may be performed in adiffering order, or steps may be added, deleted, or modified.

While the present disclosure is described, at least in part, in terms ofmethods, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that thepresent disclosure is also directed to the various components forperforming at least some of the aspects and features of the describedmethods, be it by way of hardware components, software or anycombination of the two, or in any other manner. Moreover, the presentdisclosure is also directed to a pre-recorded storage device or othersimilar machine readable medium including program instructions storedthereon for performing the methods described herein.

The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the subject matter of the claims. The described exampleembodiments are to be considered in all respects as being onlyillustrative and not restrictive. The present disclosure intends tocover and embrace all suitable changes in technology. The scope of thepresent disclosure is, therefore, described by the appended claimsrather than by the foregoing description. The scope of the claims shouldnot be limited by the embodiments set forth in the examples, but shouldbe given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description asa whole.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of operating a mobile transceiver,comprising: activating a wireless transceiver associated with a lastused wireless service from a low power mode; searching for a wirelesssignal for the last used wireless service; when the last wirelessservice is available, accessing the last used wireless service, andsending at least a portion of a data log to an asset tracking serviceusing the last used wireless service; and when the last used wirelessservice is not available, selecting an alternate wireless service from aplurality of wireless services, accessing the alternate wirelessservice, updating a last used wireless service in memory, and sending atleast a portion of the data log to the asset tracking service using thealternate wireless service.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein theplurality of wireless services comprises 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE),3G and 2G wireless services.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein theplurality of wireless services further comprises WLAN and Bluetoothwireless services.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: whenthe last used wireless service is not available, determining via asatellite receiver a location of the mobile transceiver; wherein thealternate wireless service is selected in accordance with storedinformation identifying which of the plurality of wireless services maybe available at the determined location.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein the alternate wireless service is selected from the plurality ofwireless services in accordance with one or more selection parametersstored in memory and the determined location.
 6. The method of claim 4,further comprising, before determining the location of the mobiletransceiver, activating the satellite receiver associated with a lastused wireless service from a low power mode.
 7. The method of claim 4,further comprising: storing the determined location and a timeassociated with the determined location in the data log stored in thememory; sensing, via one or more sensors, an environment of the mobiletransceiver; and storing sensor data obtained via the sensors and a timeat which the sensor data was obtained in the data log stored in thememory.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: switching to analternate wireless service specified by a switch command when a switchcommand is received from the asset tracking service.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the alternate wireless service is selected from aplurality of wireless services in accordance with one or more selectionparameters stored in memory.
 10. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising searching for a wireless signal for the alternate wirelessservice, wherein the alternate wireless service is accessed when thealternate wireless service is available.
 11. The method of claim 1,further comprising: when no wireless service is available, performing adata logging cycle via one or both of a satellite receiver and aplurality of environmental sensors, and initiating a low power mode forthe satellite receiver and/or the plurality of environmental sensorsafter completion of the data logging cycle.
 12. The method of claim 1,further comprising: when no wireless service is available, initiating alow power mode for the wireless transceiver.
 13. The method of claim 1,further comprising: initiating a low power mode for the wirelesstransceiver, after sending at least a portion of the data log to theasset tracking service.
 14. A mobile transceiver, comprising: aprocessor; a memory coupled to the processor; a satellite receivercoupled to the processor; and a wireless transceiver coupled to theprocessor; wherein the processor is configured for: activating awireless transceiver associated with a last used wireless service from alow power mode; causing the wireless transceiver to search for awireless signal for the last used wireless service; when the lastwireless service is available, accessing the last used wireless service,and sending at least a portion of a data log to an asset trackingservice using the last used wireless service; and when the last usedwireless service is not available, selecting an alternate wirelessservice from a plurality of wireless services, accessing the alternatewireless service, updating a last used wireless service in memory, andsending at least a portion of the data log to the asset tracking serviceusing the alternate wireless service.
 15. The mobile transceiver ofclaim 14, wherein the plurality of wireless services comprises 4GLong-Term Evolution (LTE), 3G and 2G wireless services.
 16. The mobiletransceiver of claim 15, wherein the plurality of wireless servicesfurther comprises WLAN and Bluetooth wireless services.
 17. The mobiletransceiver of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configuredfor: when the last used wireless service is not available, determiningvia a satellite receiver a location of the mobile transceiver; whereinthe alternate wireless service is selected from the plurality ofwireless services in accordance with the determined location.
 18. Themobile transceiver of claim 14, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured for: switching to an alternate wireless service specified bya switch command when a switch command is received from the assettracking service.
 19. The mobile transceiver of claim 14, wherein themobile transceiver is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)tracking device.
 20. A non-transitory machine readable medium havingtangibly stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by aprocessor of a mobile transceiver, the mobile transceiver comprising aprocessor, a memory, a satellite receiver, and a wireless transceiver,cause the processor to: activating a wireless transceiver associatedwith a last used wireless service from a low power mode; causing thewireless transceiver to search for a wireless signal for the last usedwireless service; when the last wireless service is available, accessingthe last used wireless service, and sending at least a portion of a datalog to an asset tracking service using the last used wireless service;and when the last used wireless service is not available, selecting analternate wireless service from a plurality of wireless services,accessing the alternate wireless service, updating a last used wirelessservice in memory, and sending at least a portion of the data log to theasset tracking service using the alternate wireless service.